Bulls coast to 103-87 victory over Warriors

One natural reaction after tasting some success is to settle, let the guard down a bit.

Not in the world of Tom Thibodeau's Bulls.

After a Friday morning in which Luol Deng and Joakim Noah talked eloquently about what making the All-Star Game meant to them, Thibodeau lauded that accomplishment and immediately switched the focus back to the task at hand.

Willing players followed suit, stepping on the gas in a dominant first quarter and handily beating a solid Warriors team 103-87 before a crowd of 21,756 at the United Center.

"Our readiness to play was very, very good," Thibodeau said. "It was important for us to get the lead. They're really good. They missed some shots they got good looks at. But our ball movement in the first half in particular was terrific. The rebounding was great."

Noah, Carlos Boozer and Jimmy Butler — starting again for the injured Deng — posted double-doubles, Butler's first in the NBA. Kirk Hinrich scored a season-high 25 points and tied his career-high with six 3-pointers. Nate Robinson, torching the team he played for last season, provided 22 points off the bench.

All in all, there was plenty to like by an all-around effort that featured a 26-point lead midway through the second quarter.

"Jo was terrific — offense, defense, rebounding, energy," Thibodeau said. "Carlos, I thought his rebounding and his presence inside — his cutting and screening — led to fouls. It got us established inside."

The Warriors rank fourth in the league in rebounding but the Bulls throttled them on the boards 56-37. The Warriors didn't grab their first rebound in the second quarter until 4 minutes, 28 seconds remained. The Bulls also enjoyed a season-high 30 second-chance points against the Warriors' six.

Noah, Butler and Boozer combined for 45 points and 41 rebounds.

"They outworked us across the board," Warriors coach Mark Jackson said. "They defend. They compete every night. They trust one another. They play with a great deal of energy and enthusiasm. And they have a great coach who does an outstanding job year in and year out. It's incredible they're doing this without Derrick Rose."

The Bulls led by 18 following their dominant first quarter and then sank 9 of 10 shots to open the second. The Warriors showed some life with a 12-0 run but Hinrich sank a 3-pointer and then found Butler for a fast-break dunk as the Bulls scored a season-high 63 points in the first half.

Butler continues to shine in place of Deng.

"He's a pro," Thibodeau said. "He's a good player. He's hard-playing. I think he can do a lot better too. I love his toughness. He competes on every play. He's not afraid. Guys like that continue to get better."

The Warriors' small lineup prompted Thibodeau to play Hinrich and Robinson together, a look Hinrich said they haven't even practiced.

"Everything's just sort of clicking for us right now," Hinrich said. "There's a good calmness yet readiness about us at the same time. We kind of have that edge."